Apple’s iPad mini is coming, according to credible sources and it’s expected to get significant upgrades including iPhone Air’s A19 Pro chip, an OLED display upgraded from LCD, and more.
Apple is working on a next-generation version of the iPad mini (codename J510/J511) that features the A19 Pro chip, according to information found in code that Apple mistakenly shared in August.
Apple’s A19 Pro chip since debuted in the iPhone Air and iPhone 17 Pro models. The iPhone 17 Pro models include the higher-end version of Apple’s A19 Pro chip with a 6-core CPU and a 6-core GPU, while the iPhone Air uses a mid-tier A19 Pro chip with one fewer GPU core than the A19 Pro chip used in the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max.
For the iPad mini 8, Apple is likely to use the mid-tier A19 Pro chip found in the iPhone Air.
Apple’s plan to transition the iPad mini from an LCD to an OLED display is widely rumored… A separate report has suggested the iPad mini 8’s screen could increase in size from 8.3 inches to 8.7 inches with the adoption of OLED.
MacDailyNews Take: Although there’s been a smattering of talk about an October release, most observers expect Apple to release the next-gen iPad mini in early 2026.
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iPad mini is the kind of Engineer’s iPad who used to like to draw designs on restaurant paper napkins. The earlier the new iPad mini comes the better.
When this new one is released, I’m looking for a good deal on current iPad mini 7 with A17 Pro chip. My current iPad mini 5 (last one with Touch ID Home Button) still working fine and supported with iPadOS 26, but it started to feel the strain with windowed apps. I set it to use “Full Screen Apps” (not do app windowing) and it works more smoothly. That’s fine because windowing is less useful on its smaller screen.
2 year project for Apple. An Apple foldable ‘Rubik’s cube’ look-alike that unfolds into an iPad.
Maybe the ‘third-time cube’ is lucky for Apple.